The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-03-31
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
MARCH.

MARCH.
Come, Phyllis, the reign Of the Winter 10
pact.
..Ti. me for The earth TO awaken:
The sheep arr Ill frozen II Springs early blast
| And the sheperd with agne Is shaken.
The ice on the river il eight inches thick.
But the reign Of the >Hintcr i. over:
| Go Into the bsrny .ri and nose ronud the rick
For the odor VI lust summers clover.
Though the grounding and crocns creep into
! their holes
It's Spring. and the almanac shows II.
Though polar wave over the universe r. lis
It, spring. snd We don't care who knows II.
Robert J. Bardette.
FLOWERS FOR THE FARM.
Among the fragrant flowers, the
sweet pea stands unrivallcd. 1t grows
in every shade of color, from white to
pink, purple and red; and If the bios
SONS are picked, and no seed allowed
to form, it will give profusion Of
bloom for many months. No flower
can be finer for cutting. and it is as
easily grown as the garden pea. 1t
should be planted rs early is the
ground can be worked, and covered
quite deep.
Another common flower of wonder
ful fragrance and delicate beauty, is
the old-fashi ned grass pink. 1t grows
from the root. and as it is Il hardy
perennial, will only need to be reset
once in three or four years, A small
circular bed. raised six inches above
the level of the lawn. and located where
the fragrance will reach the living
rooms Of the house, and the flowers
can he seen from the windows. will
add to the pleasure of the housekecp-
| or.
Two other flowers useful for cutting
and delightfully."- fragrant. are alyssum
and mignonctte; both grow best from
seeds sown where they are to stand. as
they do not transplant well. The alys-
sum will bloom a month and 90 to
seed. and then. ]! cut close to the
ground just after rain, it will make q
second growth and bloom as freely as
at first. Our bed was cut back the
last week in July, and September l,
was as fresh and full of bloom as it
was in July.
For mass of flowers to produce a
pleasing effect, and to give constant
bloom from June till November, there
is no plant that cxccls the petunia. 1t
is not best to depend on volunteerplants.
for although it is hardy and will seed it.
self. It has tendency to run out and
show plain colors. and seed should be
saved from the choicest, or bought each
year. 1t bears transplanting well and
grows vigorously.
SMALL FRUIT.
Mr.. Sharp of Richmond writes to
Farm and Home the following about
raising small fruits showing that the
business is well enough but not cer-
tain bonanza every year
There has been very little money in
fruit culture the past two years for any
Of us; we are not getting rich out Of it.
know something about it. having work
ed at it several years, beginning with
half an acre. and now have ten acres.
all in berries and currants. My acquain-
tances. judging from appearances, think
have done remarkably well on it, on
the old run down farm. They see me
sell loo bushels off an acre for 5000 or
$500 and say .'Oh my. he is getting
rich!" They don't stop to think that it
takes three years or more. as 4 general
thing. and m extra good season to give
100 bushels per acre and that it costs
$95 to 500 to prepare that acre and
get it cared for the first year. The Sec
ond year never yields any more than
fruit enough to pay for cultivation; and
the yield is generally according to the
work put on it.
They do not think of the 500 or
more invested in crates and baskets ncc-
cssary 10 market the fruit. of the bas-
kets that may be soilcd or lost, and era
ties broken or never returned and above
all. they do not think Of the risk If no
crop which has to be run by every fruit
grower in this severe climate. He is
liable to have every red raspberry plant
winter killed. rs have, He is also lia-
BILE to i late spr,ng frost that may blast
every blossom # it does not kill the
vines. and later runs the risk of drouth
that may reduce the crop one-half. All
these things must be considered,
or should be before starting in the bu>i-
ness. 10 those who like the business,
when we have a good season. good
crops and good prices (Which. by the
way. seldom come togcther) there is of
course pleasure and profit in it, rs there
is pleasure in success in any business.
1t is also interesting to test new vi
rieties and compare them. And some
years there is money in the business.
but rs have said before, in order to
get money out of it i man has to run
greater risk than in almost any other
branch Of agriculture. When you come
to average one year with another mar,
who sticks to raising potatoes or some
other crop. if he exercises coed jldg-
ment in handling the same and using
the same amount of fertilizer and labor,
is likely to be worth as much as the
small fruit grower ut the end Of 10
years trial.
/ BREAKFAST.
Breakfast ought to be made very
pleasant meal. beginning the day, as it
does, after the family have been sep
arated for the night Yet in how many
families is it the custom to send off the
master Of tho house to his daily round
of business with an unsatisficd feeling
after partaking of a hurried. nncomfort-
able meal, composed mainly of the re-
mains of yesterdays dinner warmed
over in any way most easy to the cook
without Sc asoning, and altogether un
palatable.
| am not finding fault with the
materials for the breakfast. but with
the manner OF preparing and serving
Ry all means use at breakfast what was
/ lnff from, Il q,